


MysMe One Shots

by SilverKnightKaden



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, im trying my best alright?????
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:55:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24451702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverKnightKaden/pseuds/SilverKnightKaden
Summary: mysme one shots with a female mc and male characters (currently cant write yoosung since i havent done his route and also maybe dont like him a lot but i will certainly try to do his route eventually)
Relationships: 707 | Choi Luciel/Reader, Choi Saeran/Reader, Han Jumin/Reader, V | Kim Jihyun/Reader, Zen | Ryu Hyun/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 87





	1. No Position to Work - Choi Saeyoung

**Author's Note:**

> a rare find for me - a fic from outside of reader pov!!!!

Hacking through the night was something Saeyoung had become painfully accustomed with. Fingers frantically typed long into the night, code constantly scrolling across his screen. Vanderwood texted him just about every hour, checking to make sure he was still busy.

Saeyoung just wanted to rest. He wanted to lie down in the comfort of his wife’s embrace, drifting off into the relaxing world of his dreams, where he would spend more time with her yet.

Somehow, he just knew that an angel had heard his plea, for as soon as his mind had processed the thoughts of missing her, he heard unmistakable footsteps padding up behind him.

“Burning the midnight oil?” she asked, placing her hands on his shoulders from behind and gently massaging them. Already, the redhead hacker was sinking down in his chair, muscles relaxed by the familiar touch.

“Vanderwood needed help,” he said simply, typing another few lines of input and waiting for it to verify. “I’ll try to finish soon, you should be sleeping.”

“But it’s so hard to be comfortable alone,” she replied bluntly, causing Saeyoung’s face to ignite into a red so dark, it rivaled his hair. “Can’t I just stay in here, with you?”

He chuckled a little. “It might be boring.” The hands on his shoulders left, and, not a moment later, he felt his desk chair being moved back and forcibly turned.

“Close your eyes,” she requested, that beautiful smile that Saeyoung loved so much shining on her face. He found it all too easy to comply with his request. “This is gonna be awkward for a second.” A few noises came from her, and, within a minute, he felt a weight on his legs.

When he opened his eyes, he found that she’d placed her legs through the armrests of the chair and had sat in his lap, almost like giving him a hug while sitting down. The blanket, which was draped over her shoulders, now covered her entire backside, as well as Saeyoung’s legs.

“That’s much better,” she muttered, burying her face into her husband’s chest. Her arms draped around his neck loosely, and she seemed far more at ease than before.

Saeyoung couldn’t help a laugh. “You’re so cute,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her head as he slowly moved his chair back into place. It took him a moment to adjust to the position, but, once he did, he undeniably had the most comfortable hacking experience yet, and all it took was some love.

His wife fell asleep quickly, the rhythmic movement of her breathing bringing Saeyoung peace. Every now and then, she’d mumble something, usually words that Saeyoung didn’t hear or understand, but the sound soothed him. In fact, he was almost glad that Vanderwood had kept him up, because he just got to add another wonderful memory to his mind, another shared experience with the love of his life.

The job finished about two or so hours later, give or take. When he was able to completely rest, he pondered his options.

1\. Wake up his wife and walk her back to the bed so they could sleep properly.

Alternatively…

2\. Figure out a way to pick her up and carry her without waking her up.

As he mulled over his options, he glanced down at the woman. Her lips were parted just enough to look so beautifully kissable in the moment, hair falling over her back and shoulder. One of her hands had fallen, curled up in a loose fist around Saeyoung’s jacket.

He decided on a third option; With a yawn, he wrapped his arms around her securely, leaning back and letting himself drift off comfortably. They both would probably be a little uncomfortable from the awkward sleeping position, but they didn’t care. Being together was far more important.


	2. Amateur's Touch - Jihyun Kim

The studio was full to the brim with paintings. They came in all colors, shapes, and sizes, and they were strewn about in what almost looked like an 'organized chaos’ method. Everything had a home, though, and that’s what mattered the most.

My husband stood facing his newest work. Most of the canvas was still blank, but I could tell he was trying something with a meadow at the bottom, as there was a mixture of lights greens and little dots, like flowers, at the very bottom of the canvas.

Jihyun’s brow furrowed in gentle frustration, brush in one hand, the other up to his face in his 'thinking pose’. From what I could gather, he seemed stuck on his painting. That look, the stance, the emotion in his eyes; It was all familiar to me.

“Stuck?” I asked simply, approaching from behind and wrapping my arms around his waist in a comforting hug. One of his hands found mine, threading our fingers together.

“A little,” he replied, setting down the brush. I moved to stand next to him, leaving an arm around him.

I took in the painting. Up close, I could tell that my suspicion of a meadow was correct. Along the bottom few inches of the canvas stretched a land of flowers and all grass, but the sky was gone. The rest of the canvas remained white, untouched by any paint.

“Do you mind if…I try?” I offered, looking up to him. “I watched…well, I mean…I’ve been watching videos about painting techniques and stuff. I haven’t tried any, but, uh…no better time than the present…?”

Jihyun was silent a moment, before he broke into soft laughter. “Of course. Though, if you wanted to learn, I’d have been happy to teach you myself.”

I picked up one of the palette knives and found some little tubes of paint. Shrugging, I placed a few dots of various light blues and white along the white part of the canvas in a vertical line. “I don’t want to bother you,” I admitted, smearing the paint horizontally with the knife. The blues and white mixed together, creating what I thought was a pretty decent sky. In some places, the blue was a little deeper, or the white stuck out, but that was what made it pretty.

“You’re not a bother,” Jihyun spoke, putting his hands on my waist from behind as I cleaned the paint from his palette knife and waited for the sky to dry, so that I could add some trees. “Any time I spend with you is time well-spent.”

I responded to his words non-verbally, turning slightly to kiss his cheek. He smiled in response, and I went to grab a brush. “What do you think…” I let the sentence trail, looking at the tube of blue paint. Smiling, I tried to put a little paint on the palette, accidentally putting way more than I needed, then put the bristles of the brush in it. “Let’s see what would happen if I…”

Grinning mischievously, I whirled around and smeared the paint on Jihyun’s cheek. His expression caused me to burst into laughter, and he smiled back.

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, reaching around me. He went for the palette and dipped his finger in the paint. I tried to run, but he was too quick, smearing the paint over my cheek, as well.

This erupted into a paint war, with each of us sticking our hands into the paint and rubbing it on the other’s face. The war ended when the paint on the palette was gone, and our hands and faces were covered in paint.

When I looked up to Jihyun, he had blue streaks all over his cheeks and a smile gracing his lips. He put his hands on my waist again, both of us forgetting the paint on our hands as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

His lips pressed to mine in a sweet kiss, and my eyes fluttered closed as he pulled me flush with his own body. My hand moved up to his cheek, undoubtedly getting more paint on him, but we couldn’t be bothered to care anymore.

As he pulled back to breathe, I opened my eyes, looking at his blue hair, his blue eyes, and his blue face. It was almost all the same color, and I rubbed my thumb over his cheek.

“How did I get so lucky?” I muttered, heart fluttering when his hand came up to grab mine. He chuckled and kissed my knuckles.

“I’m the lucky one,” he replied. “I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”


	3. My Girls - Jumin Han

Another day, another boring business trip for the chairman of C&R. Once again, he had been dragged out of the country by his tie, taking plane after plane to visit potential and current business partners.

Months had gone by, and he was missing his wife. He experienced what he decided to call “withdrawals”, sometimes completely losing himself in the thought of her. Still, his imagination had nothing on being next to her jn reality.

The two called everyday, his wife even waiting by the phone at the same time each day. He called at exactly the same few times every single day, and they both looked forward to the calls. She would tell him about something she ate that day, or how Elizabeth III was getting closer to her and the cat was letting her pet it.

Jumin could barely contain his excitement when the day to travel home came. Jaehee, being the closest person to him, could tell how he acted differently, whereas other employees couldn’t tell the difference.

He stayed awake the entire plane ride home, even though it was long and boring. Excitement, a new and overhwelming emotion for him, was coursing through his body. His fingers tapped impatiently on his leg.

He was even the first person off of the plane, once it landed. Of course, since the plane belonged to the company, he ended up landing right on top of his building, only a few floors above where his wife was waiting.

Jaehee knowingly told Jumin that someone would send his stuff to their place later, and that he should head to his wife immediately. He didn’t say another word, trying as calmly as possible to hurry back home.

The elevator ride was absolute Hell. He had already gone through the trip and the plane ride, but the elevator was definitely the last straw. As soon as the doors opened, he stepped up to their room, key quickly unlocking the door to let himself in.

It was past midnight when he got inside. He wasn’t surprised when he could see her form on the bed, deep in sleep. When he approached, his heart clenched.

His wife laid on her side, beautiful even in rest, and, curled up against her, Elizabeth slept in her own soft beauty. An arm gently curled around the resting feline, who let her own head fall against the arm. The sight was almost enough to give Jumin a heart attack, and he took a picture of them, which turned out surprisingly well.

He changed into more comfortable sleeping clothes, then curled up behind the woman. His arms wrapped around her waist an held her close to him. While he would have loved to kiss her and have her holding him, as well, he didn’t dare disturb the pure scene he had found. Instead, he left a little scratch behind Elizabeth’s ear, a kiss on his wife’s cheek, then let himself drift into sleep, as well.


	4. On My Way - Jihyun Kim

“Where is he?” I half sighed, restlessly tapping my fingers on the ground. I was sat on the porch of the shack Seven had brought us to, waiting for V to return from his little break in the car.

Many possibilties and worries, each one scarier than the last, ran through my mind. Perhaps someone from Mint Eye had seen him, or he had passed out because of the drug on his way back.

I couldn’t stand the waiting, and, before I knew it, I had dialed V’s number and the phone was ringing. The longer the dialing tone rang, the more worried I became.

The phone picked up at last, but what I heard didn’t make me feel any less worried. V sounded pained, breathing hard and barely managing words. “…Hello…?” he hardly got out, and my heart sank.

“V, are you okay?” I asked, standing up from the porch.

“…Yes…I feel…hot…” He sounded sick, and I frantically tried to remember where Seven had parked the car so I could run to him.

“I’m coming there right now!” I told him. “You stay put!”

I went off in what I could only hope was the right direction, and V continued talking. “I know I shouldn’t be like this…” Pained grunts left him after every few words. “…but as my body weakens, I keep thinking of someone else…”

Ducking under a low-hanging branch, I glanced around for any sign of that bright red car of Seven’s. “I…never deserved to love anyone in the first place,” V muttered. “I’m…a person…who only hurts others…” My hand gripped my phone tight as I continued searching. “It’d be best…if I could get lost somewhere where I couldn’t meet anyone…and die there…”

“V, you’re not that kind of person,” I said, hearing my own voice crack with emotion. I shook my head. “You have to trust me.”

“How could I trust?” he asked me, but I knew he wasn’t looking for an answer. At least, not one that I could give. “Look at what I’ve done…Rika…RFA…you…” He released a pained sound, but continued speaking. “How can I…who have endangered everyone…”

His breathing slowed just a little bit, and I wondered if he was trying to gain control of himself. “…I’m really sorry,” he sighed. “Why…do you even…care for me…?”

A little smile, one that I used to keep myself from crying, broke over my face. “Because I like you, V,” I admitted into the reciever.

“…Me?” V’s voice came across a few moments later, sounding almost astounded. “Where are you now? I want to hear your voice in person…” He took a deep breath, seeming to gain a bit more control over himself and his emotions. “Not only your voice…I want to see you…No, no…You should come slowly.” He stopped for a second, taking another deep breath. “Take your time…I cannot let you see me right now…” A sigh escaped him. “I cannot…make you another victim…”

“…I’m sorry,” he finished, just as the car came into my line of sight. “I should hang up before I say anything more strange…Be careful and watch your step…I’m hanging up, now…”

With that, he ended the call. I had to physically hold back from running over to the car. He had asked me to give him a minute to collect himself, so I waited. I leaned on a tree, looking at the forest around me.

Before I could do anything, the sound of a car door opening, and closing soon after, made me peak around the tree. V had left the car, and he was stumbling his way back to the shack.

I was at his side in a moment, putting his arm around my shoulder to give him support. He halfway leaned on me as I walked with him.

“We can stop here,” I offered once we had travelled a minute or so from the car. “Come here.”

I lead him to a shaded area, helping him to sit against a tree. With a hand on his own, I took my place next to him. His breathing was hard, quick, and heavy. Carefully, I moved to lean against the tree, then made V lay his head in my lap, looking away from me. He kept a grip on my hand, and I used my other one to gently comb through his hair.

“Did you mean that…?” he asked me quietly. “What you said…that you like me…is it true…?”

“Very true,” I answered, giving his hand a slight squeeze. “I wouldn’t lie to you, V.”

“I know…” He tightened his grip on my hand a little bit, but it didn’t hurt. Honestly, he was probably to weak to do any sort of damage. “I didn’t mean to sound like…like I don’t trust you…”

“V, you should rest,” I told him, moving a piece of hair out of his eyes. “The drug is making you feel tired, I can tell. If you’d like, you can sleep right here, and I’ll talk with Seven if he calls.”

He didn’t reply, so I could only assume he wanted to stay. He moved to lie on his back, looking up at me with those beautiful, minty eyes of his. I found it strange, but also very pretty, that his eyes were almost the exact same color as his hair.

“I…like you, too…” he breathed, leaning against the hand that I placed on his cheek. “That’s why I asked…I had to be sure…”

His body relaxed as I stroked the back of his hand with my thumb. His free hand went up to my own face, settling on my cheek. I felt him gently pulling me closer, so I obeyed and leaned in.

When his lips touched mine, it felt like heaven. It was a light connection, lips hardly even touching, but I felt a jolt of electricity running through me. The hand on my face mived to the back of my head to pull me even closer, and, although I knew it would hurt my back, I let him lead me in the kiss.

I came back for air, smiling at the content look on his face. His eyes were closed, and he looked like he could fall asleep at any moment. The hand dropped from my face and fell on his stomach, but he continued to hold my hand with his other. I pushed another piece of hair from his face.

“Do you want to stay here and rest?” I asked softly, already knowing the answer before he nodded at me. My fingers threaded through his hair, and he sighed blissfully. He was asleep within minutes.

He drifted off into another plane of reality. Somewhere where this mess was solved. Where house could be happy. The twins reunited. The RFA safe and happy.

For once, he dreamed about himself. He dreamed about the life he had always wanted, but it soon shifted into the life he wanted now. A calm home, with his own signature paintings strewn across the walls. A little studio for himself. He had a wife, as well, and she was so familiar. Her touch was so sweet, and he smile was so soft.

V dreamt about me. A life with me. One where we could be happy, together.

Later that night, when he was in his bed, and I was falling asleep sitting nearby, I had the same dream.


	5. A Real Savior - Choi Saeran

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so this COMPLETELY throws off the arc of saerans story - bascially, once reader is supposed to start drinking the coolaid, v makes an appearance and ruins it and saeran deals with angry mc who knows she was about to get brainwashed

A gentle knock on my door shook me from my thoughts, but I didn’t dare speak. I didn’t know what to believe, anymore. Ever since V showed up, everything that I thought I knew was shattered. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had imagined the sound.

“Hello,” came that familiar voice, and I almost shuddered. I pulled my legs up from the bed and buried my face in my knees, hoping he’d take the hint.

“I’m sorry about before,” he said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Everything was perfect, but he had to come and ruin it. It’ll be some time before the next batch of the elixir gets made.”

“Are you sorry for lying to me?” I managed, peaking up from my little hiding spot. “Are you sorry for convincing me that those weren’t real people? Are you sorry for using me to get whatever information you need out of them?”

The room went silent when I stopped, and I dropped my head back to my knees. He couldn’t answer me. Of course, I knew he probably wasn’t sorry. After all, everything he’d said to me had been one lie after the next.

“Was everything a lie?” I asked him. “Was there…ever a game? Did you bring me here just to use me like that?”

“At the start, yes,” he finally talked, “but…I want you to stay. I know, it’s hard to trust me right now, but, if you just believe in me, I swear that me and my savior will help y-”

“I don’t need you to save me!” When I looked up, I saw him looking extremely shocked at my outburst. “I need someone to save me from you! You locked me up, you tried to drug me!”

“But it’s for a good reason!” he argued, standing up and facing me completely. When he tried to reach for my hand, I moved further away, to the other side of the bed. He looked miserable. “You have to believe me.”

“How can I believe anything after that?”

His lips trembled. “Because, I…I really like you. I know, I’ve been lying to you, but, if you will just trust me, now, I won’t ever tell you another lie.”

“I don’t even know if I can believe that,” I whispered, tears falling from my eyes. “If you truly cared about me, why would you lie to me?” My hands curled around the sleeves of my shirt as I wiped my eyes, but the tears continued, making my effort useless. “You know…maybe, if you hadn’t lied to me, I could’ve told you I was feeling the same way…but I don’t know, anymore. It’s hard to be anything other than angry when someone betrays you.”

“And you were trying to make me betray them,” I continued. “You lied to me so that you could make me get whatever information you wanted out of them. You used me. You used me so I would lie to them and hurt them, too.” My hands started to shake a little. “God, if V hadn’t shown up like that, I might have actually done it, thinking there wouldn’t be any consequences.” I shook my head.

“I’ll make it up to you,” he told me, eyes suddenly shining with hope. “I can take you to paradise, if you’ll-”

“I don’t want your paradise,” I cried. “I…” Before I knew what was happening, my quiet crying turned into a sob. “I wanna go home.” I dropped my face back into my knees, crossing my arms over my legs and letting my emotions control me. “I don’t want to be here, anymore.”

When Ray approached me, I no longer had the strength to move. He walked around the bed, slowly, gently coming over to my side, but never touching me.

“Will you ever forgive me?” he asked softly. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”

I sniffed, trying to gain control of myself. After a few more moments, I managed to bring my crying back to a lower level. “Maybe, if you get me out of here and get me home, I could forgive you,” I sniffed, wiping my eyes with more success than before. My crying was slowly coming to a stop.

“If I did that, my savior would-”

“I don’t give a damn about your savior.” I stretched my legs back to how they had been before, staring at my hands in my lap. “If you really care about this so much, then fine. Keep me here. Imprison me, and drug me. Do whatever the Hell you want.”

I turned my head to glance at him, meeting his eyes dead on. “But, if you really did care about me, you’d consider my wishes.”

He tried to argue with me. Tried to convince me how wonderful his savoir was. It was all pointless. Once I had gotten that final sentence out, I refused to respond to anything else he said.

After long enough, he seemed to understand that I wouldn’t talk unless it was about getting me out. I watched him walk out of the room dejectedly, shutting the door behind himself softly.

That night, I didn’t sleep well at all. It took what felt like hours to even fall asleep, but my dreams were restless, and they all had a common theme. I was isolated, stranded, and virtually all alone. In my dreams, no one came to save me.


	6. A Real Savior pt 2 - Choi Saeran

When I woke up, it was still dark out. The moon greeted me through the window, beams of moonlight drifting in through the glass.

“What do you want, now?” I tiredly asked Ray, who had shaken me awake.

After getting no response, I huffed angrily, and sat up in my bed, turning to meet his gaze. “Listen, I’m not in the mood fo-”

He put a finger to his lips, motioning for me to shut up. Although annoyed, I followed his directions and quit speaking. Suspiciously, he glanced toward the door, before looking back to me.

“I thought about what you said,” he spoke softly. “I…I have to pick you.” His eyes held a soft desperation when he smiled sweetly at me. “No one has ever treated me with such unconditional kindness like you have. Not even my savior. I’ve never felt more human than when I’m talking with you.”

I tilted my head, tired brain not entirely understanding his point. Cautiously, he offered me a hand, which I carefully took. He pulled a little, and I followed his lead, standing up from my bed. Both of his hands took mine as he struggled for his words.

“I’m going to leave here with you,” he told me, making my heart leap. “I…” He looked almost ashamed. “I even spoke with the RFA. V is coming back to help.”

“You mean…” My words trailed off, and I looked away. “I can leave? I’m going home, now?”

Ray put one hand on my cheek, making me meet his eyes. “Will going home make you happy? If I take you home, will you stop being angry with me?”

A smile broke across my face, and I threw myself at him in a hug. “If you do that, Ray, I’d be more than happy with you.”

His arms held me in a close embrace. “Then I’ll do it. Anything to make you happy.”

My heart fluttered at his words, but I didn’t have long to dwell on these emotions. His phone started ringing, and he removed one of his arms to take the call. I saw V’s name on the screen.

“Yes, she’s right here,” Ray spoke, and I could barely hear V’s voice through the phone. “No, I’m not - Would it help if I let her speak to you?”

Ray rolled his eyes when V spoke again, then handed his phone down to me. I released the hug to take the phone.

“V?” I asked into the reciever. “Is it you?”

“Ah, so you are okay!” His voice was, for some reason, a great comfort. “I’m glad. Has…Ray told you about what’s going on?”

“Not much, but enough,” I replied. “Are we really doing this?”

“Yes,” V responded. “I won’t say much, but Ray has decided to help you to escape. He can give you the details. Please, give him back the phone.”

I gave a quick ‘good bye’, then passed the phone back to Ray. He spoke with V a little bit longer, mentioning something about the garden and cameras, but I was too excited to listen. I was finally going to go back home.

Ray hung up soon after, putting his phone away and looking down at me. “Ready?” he asked me, offering me his hand. “You have to act natural. Act like you and I are going on a walk in the gardens, okay?”

I nodded, taking his hand without another word. His fingers fit into mine comfortably, and my chest exploded with butterflies. I inwardly shooed them away, scolding myself. This wasn’t the time, dammit!

Getting out of the room and to the garden was very simple, as Ray would tell anyone who asked questions that he and I were going for a walk in the garden. We managed to arrive without a hitch, and I smiled at the flowers.

“You didn’t get to see them in person, did you?” Ray asked me. “Only the photo I sent you.”

With a smile, he walked over to a nearby rose bush, covered in beautiful, orange blooms. Carefully, he broke one off of the bush, checking for thorns, before returning to my side. Still smiling, he stepped closer and placed the rose behind my ear, the petals soft on the side of my face.

“Gorgeous,” he muttered softly, taking my hand again. My face got warm, and I squeezed his hand to keep myself from getting too embarrassed.

“We have to wait a minute,” he told me. “V is supposed to arrive here, shortly. Let’s just act calmly.”

He lead me through the garden, telling me about each of the flowers that we passed. There were very few that I recognized, and even then, they were still the prettiest flowers I’d ever seen of their kind. The ones I didn’t know were even prettier, and I was almost mesmerized by each one.

Ray squeezed my hand to get my attention, carefully motioning for me to follow him under a gazebo. There, standing underneath the little roof, was someone that was undeniably V. His face broke into a smile when he saw me.

“You’re safe!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Thank goodness! If you just come with me, we’ll be out of here soon, and you can go home.”

I went to follow him, but felt a pull on my hand after a few steps. Ray, still holding my hand, wasn’t following. I glanced back to V, who immediately understood and ducked out of the gazebo.

“Ray…?” I spoke softly, stepping closer to him. “Aren’t you coming, too?”

He shook his head. “I have to stay,” he said to me. “This is my only home, the one place that’s ever embraced me. I belong here.”

“That isn’t true.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “My…my door is open for you, Ray. If you ever wanted a place you wanted to be accepted, you could always come to my home.”

“Do you mean that?” His eyes held so much hope that I couldn’t help but smile.

“Every word,” I said, watching his expression change into one of pure joy. Excitedly, he pulled me close and hugged me against him tightly.

“You have no idea how much this means to me,” he whispered. “For you to say that is…it’s almost like I’m dreaming.” He pulled away, hands on my waist. “I don’t want to wake up.”

“Save the mushy stuff for later,” I said, squeezing his hand. “For now, let’s focus on getting out of here.”

He nodded, keeping a grip on my hand as we walked to the other side of the gazebo, seeing V standing a respectable distance away, but still hidden. Judging by the half surprised look on his face, I didn’t think he’d heard us. He gave me a questioning glance, and I motioned for him to lead the way.

~~~

Once V had helped us escape, Ray took me to a secluded house. It was buried deep in the woods, a long drive away from the Mint Eye facility.

The inside was like a normal house, just a bit smaller. There was no dining room, but there was a table in the living room that looked like the meals were eaten there. The kitchen was a little cramped, but definitely usable and well-stocked.

Ray watched me tour the new building, checking the upstairs rooms and the backyard. The view from the back was amazing; A little stream ran through it about ten yards away, and flowers of all types bloomed along the sides of it.

“What is this place?” I asked Ray, who stepped onto the backyard porch beside me.

“Before I became a member of Mint Eye, I lived here,” he told me. “But none of them know where it is. My savior found me at a different place.”

Cautiously, I let my hand travel over to grab his own. He squeezed my fingers with a little smile.

“Ray, about everything we said, back at that building…” I chewed my lip, hoping for any way to find my words. “I…I did mean it when I said that I like you, Ray. I’m sorry if I made it seem otherwise, I was just so mad, and…” My eyes traveled to the ground. “I was scared you were lying about liking me, too. I thought you knew that I liked you, and that you were using me because of it. I’m sorry I got so mad.”

He put his arms on my shoulders gently, causing me to stop talking. “I understand,” he said. “I would have been upset with me, too. I’m just glad that everything turned out alright.”

“Did you really mean it? When you said you like me, did you mean that?” My heart raced in expectation of his answer, pounding against my ribcage. I thought it might just fall out, at this point.

“Every word,” he responded, one hand settling on my cheek. “I really like you. I would do anything for you.”

My emotions got the better of me, and I pulled him down by the shoulders so that I could kiss him. In less than a heartbeat, he was kissing me back with equal force, hands trailing down to sit on my waist. Mine stayed on his shoulders, keeping him down and propping myself up, just to make the kiss last longer.

“Thank you for choosing me over them,” I said as he pulled back less than an inch. “I’m happy you’re here with me.”

“I’m happy to be here with you. Thank you for freeing me.” His forehead rested on my own as he smiled at me. “You’ve taught me how it feels to be…well, to love someone. You helped me figure out parts of myself I never knew before, and you made every one of those parts into a new creation. With your help, I want…” He sighed, as if finding the words was too difficult for him. A hand came up to cup my cheek. “I want to become a good person. I want to be good for you, and I want to make you happy every day.”

“I think I’ll be plenty happy just by being here with you.” Without thinking, I moved up to kiss him again, and he drew me closer. The hand on my cheek moved to tangle in my hair, and the one on my waist held me tight against him. Both of my hands gripped his shoulders, keeping him at my height.

That little house in the woods soon became the perfect home for the two of us. I continued working with the RFA, even though Ray still wasn’t completely trusting. Still, he didn’t try and stop me from helping them at all. Instead, he just asked me not to make him go to the parties, which I agreed to.

The home was just the right size for the two of us to work in harmony. I could make meals at any time of the day that we wanted them, and there was always a whole forest to explore behind the house.


	7. I Cook, You Clean - Jihyun Kim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> v short and mildly fluffy owo

The front door closed, and the familiar sound of my husbands shoes clicking against the floor came close. “Jagi? I’m home!” he called out, and I could hear happiness in his voice.

“One moment!” I called back, putting a lid onto the pot atop the stove. With that, I lowered the temperate on the stove, then walked out of the kitchen to greet him.

The second he saw me, he swooped me into his arms, picking me up for a tight hug. I giggled at his actions, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

Once my feet were back on the ground, Jihyun leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to my lips, and it felt like any weight I carried on my shoulders simply melted away. God, something about him just made me feel so warm, so cared for.

“Is something cooking?” he asked softly as he moved back. “I thought I was the one who cooked.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “No, I cook, you do the dishes,” I told him, “because, when you cook, it tastes like horse shit.”

With a mischievous grin, his fingers attacked my waist, and I burst out laughing. “What’s wrong with my cooking?” he teased, and I was helpless to escape his grasp. The tickling stopped after a moment, but our laughter continued for a little longer.

I trusted that the food in the kitchen wouldn’t burn so quickly, so, as our laughter died out into sweet smiles, I kept my hold on him, and he did the same. There was something so soothing and relaxing about listening to his heartbeat. It was a bit fast, still recovering from his laughing fit, but it was steadying out.

“Jihyun,” I said softly, putting one hand on his chest. “I love you.”

One of his hands came up to the back of my head to hold me close, the other remaining on my waist. “I love you, too.”

“Come on.” I pulled back from the hug, taking his hand in my own. “Let’s make it together, okay? Maybe you can learn a thing or two from working with me, huh?”

He laughed, but agreed nonetheless. Surprisingly enough, dinner went pretty well. I had a feeling that, given time, Jihyun and I could adjust to this life and become the happy couple we always dreamed of.

I just knew that we could do it.


	8. A Princess - Choi Saeran

I placed my phone back onto the bed, staring around me at the room. It was…very pink.

My eyes traveled to a vase of flowers on the table in my room, but they didn’t seem to get enough sunlight. No, the vase was too far from the windows for any natural light to hit them.

With a determined mind, I stood from the bed and walked to the table. Carefully, I removed the vase, setting it on the floor, before I quickly dragged the table to the window.

“Looks perfect,” I muttered to myself, smiling. I returned for the vase, but frowned. “Has the water been changed lately?”

When I took the flowers from the vase, I was unsurprised to find that it had not. Dead leaves and petals floated within the water, which was no longer completely clear. I placed the flowers onto the table, taking the vase with me to a connected bathroom. I drained the water, put the leaves and petals in the trash, then filled the vase up once more.

As I left the bathroom, I was greeted by a familiar figure.

“Ray!” I smiled at him. “Hi! Didn’t expect to see you there!”

He returned my smile, an anxious look quickly fading from his face. “Hello,” he greeted in his calm voice. “I knocked on the door, but you didn’t answer, so I got worried. I’m glad you’re alright.”

I shrugged. “The flowers just needed new water is all,” I told him, walking over to the table by the window and setting the vase and flowers as they should be. “Ta-da!”

“If you like them so much, I’ll be sure to get you more flowers when I get the chance,” he informed me, making my face flush. I couldn’t really think of a response, so he took charge and changed the topic.

“You redecorated,” he noted, looking at the table.

“Oh, I hope you don’t mind,” I said, suddenly aware of myself. “I didn’t think it would be a big deal, but the flowers didn’t get enough sun in the middle of the room.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s no big deal,” he told me. “If anything, I hope this helps you become more comfortable here.”

“How could I be uncomfortable?” I asked rhetorically. “God, I feel like a princess! Huge bed? Getting to eat in my room? Fancy chairs?” I pointed at the ceiling. “Fancy chandelier?!”

Ray’s smile seemed to grow a little bit as I spoke. “I feel like I’m getting pampered,” I finished, sitting on the bed and fiddling with my fingers.

“I…want you to have every luxury,” Ray told me. “I want for you to be as comfortable as possible during your stay here.”

He walked over to me as he spoke, taking my hands in his own. When I met his eyes, he was giving me a warm look, full of so many kind emotions. It made all of my worries ease a little bit.

“Uh, Ray?” I asked, still slightly nervous. I looked at our hands and messed with our fingers for a moment. “Well, I…I, uh, have something…I wanna ask for. I mean…there’s something I want.”

“Anything,” he told me, calming me even more with a single word.

“Ray, I want you to kiss me.”

He tensed, and his hands squeezed mine seemingly involuntarily.

“K-Kiss?” he stuttered. “Me?”

I stood up, trying to get to the same level as him, though I was a little shorter. My hands went to his shoulders, and I did my best to meet his eyes.

“Yes, you,” I responded, searching for his reaction.

I couldn’t look long, for as soon as the words passed through my lips, his own came crashing down onto them.

There was no helping my smile as he kissed me. His hands gripped my waist tightly, and his lips moved against mine so perfectly.

When he moved back, I opened my eyes to see him smiling just as much as I was, and it reassured me. He really, genuinely wanted to kiss me, too.

Before I could do anything, Ray took a step forward, causing me to move back. One more step had me lying back on the bed, Ray hovering over me with one hand on either side of my head.

“Did you only want one?” he asked me softly, putting one hand on my cheek and balancing his weight on the other. “If you want, I can give you as many as you desire. You just have to tell me.”

I put both of my hands on the back of his head, threading them through his hair. “I want more. So much more, Ray.”

He complied only a moment later, putting his hands back on the bed and moving down to kiss me once more. I didn’t know it, but there were so many wheels turning in his brain, trying to assess every little detail of the situation.

’This is what you really wanted,’ he thought. ’No game bullshit. No RFA. Hell, not even Rika.’

He pulled back from me once more, relishing in the look of pure satisfaction on my face.

’You wanted her since the moment you saw her.’ He scoffed inwardly. ’Maybe even from the moment she agreed to come here.’

He saw the expression on my face change, and his changed, too. “What’s wrong?” he asked, wheels turning even faster than before.

“This isn’t…” I smiled a little. “You’re not trying to seduce me into giving your game a good rating, are you?”

He took a moment to process the statement, then a grin broke out across his face. Another moment passed, and he started laughing. He turned away from me, like he was trying to stop himself, but I smiled, too.

“Ah, you had me worried,” he told me, sitting on the bed. I sat up, letting him grab my hand and squeeze it gently.

“You don’t have to always worry about me,” I said. “I mean, it’s okay to want something for yourself.”

Again, he stiffened at my words. “And…if I wanted you?”

My heart fluttered. “Well, it would be awful rude of me to say no at this point,” I joked once more. He smiled, possibly the widest grin I’d seen yet, before kissing me again.

“Then it’s settled, right?” he asked me. “You will be mine, and I will be yours.”


	9. Happy Birthday, Babe - Hyun Ryu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was for zens birthday like a wholeass year ago sagahkdfj

“Babe!” I shouted as I heard the front door closing. I stood from my spot at the table, walking into the main entrance to hug him. “You’re finally home!”

“You act like I’ve been gone for years,” he teased, running his hands through my hair. I rolled my eyes.

“It felt like you were gone for years,” I sighed. “Time is worthless when you’re gone.”

He smiled and kissed me quickly, then started to walk into the kitchen with his arm around my waist. When he saw my laptop and a stack of papers on the table, his shoulders tensed a little. “Did Jumin…really give you all of this work?” he asked, looking down at me.

I shrugged. “It’s not really that much,” I assured him. “I’ll be finished before you know it.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. “You go to bed. I’ll be back there quicker than you can blink.”

I kissed his cheek, and he sighed defeatedly. “Okay, but don’t work too hard,” he said. He squeezed me into a hug, then trudged off to the bedroom.

With him gone, I smiled and got down to “working”. I sent a text to Seven, making sure that what I asked for was gonna happen, and he responded that my request would be fulfilled. A moment later, he sent me a link to a website, and I thanked him immensely.

707:

Here u go

Dont trust it too much

MC:

Thx i owe u my life

707:

U owe me more than that

MC:

R u saying my life isnt worth enough for u?

There wasn’t a response, and I assumed he had nothing to combat that, so I just set my phone down and followed the link.

An hour later, I had a decent cake, frosted and with Zen’s name over the top in icing. I smiled, gently putting it into the fridge, then padding to our bedroom.

Zen was sitting cross legged, just scrolling through something on his phone. Possibly the tripter bot Seven had made a while ago.

“Bedtime,” I sighed loudly, stepping into the bathroom to change. “Give me five minutes.”

I made quick work of stepping out of my clothes and into some pajamas, and I left the bathroom to fall next to Zen on the bed.

“Fancy seeing you here,” I joked, watching him smile and set his phone to the side. He laid down next to me, moving so my back was to his chest and he was spooning me. This offered me a perfect view of the analog clock next to the bed, which currently read 11:47 pm. Thirteen minutes.

For thirteen minutes, I played with Zen’s fingers or talked about whatever would come to mind, trying to make the time pass as fast as I could. The minutes ticked away slowly.

It turned to 11:59 pm, and all of my words fell. There was only a minute left. I fidgeted with Zen’s fingers, growing nervous every second.

Midnight hit, and I whirled around in Zen’s arms. He seemed shocked when I grabbed his waist in a hug and buried my face in his neck.

“Happy birthday, babe!” I yelled, smiling. After a moment of recoil, Zen laughed and squeezed me. His hand rubbed my back soothingly.

“Thank you,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “I’m so glad I hear it from you before anybody else.”

“Want to come get your gift?” I asked, smiling as sweetly as I could. “I made it all by myself…with Seven’s help.”

He laughed again, then nodded. Excitedly, I jumped off of the bed and pulled on his arm, tugging my laughing boyfriend into the kitchen. I had him sit at the table, then got into the fridge and took out the cake. When I placed it in front of him, his smile grew, ans we locked eyes for a moment.

“You’re too sweet to me,” he sighed, standing up and wrapping his arms around my waist and putting his forehead on mine. “You’re way too good for me.”

I shook my head. “No, you deserve more than a homemade cake,” I admitted. “This is just all that I can give you. I’m sorry it’s not much.”

Zen’s expression was pure shock. “Are you kidding?” he said, eyes searching mine. “You’re perfect, and so is your gift! I know you put time and thought into it, and I love this. I love you.”

I smiled back. “I love you, too.”

His hand went to my cheek, and he kissed me. I put my own hands on his shoulders, standing on my toes to reach him.

After a few minutes of that, I was cutting the little cake into pieces, trying not to make them too big or small. I gave the first piece to Zen, but he insisted that we eat it together, so I cut myself a piece and we took a bite at the same time.

“This is so good!” he praised, just before he shoveled another bite into his mouth. I had to admit, it did taste good. I took another bite, too.

He glanced at me after we had finished. “Seriously,” he said, “this was amazing. Thank you, so much.”

I nodded. “It’s bed time, now. Let’s clean up and go to sleep, okay?”

Zen agreed, and he put the dishes in the sink while I put the cake in the fridge. When we finished, I took his hand and we went to bed together.

For the first time in years, Zen felt no need to stay awake, waiting for his friends or fans to send a birthday text or validate him. For the first time in years, he fell asleep on his birthday. He was happy with his present.

He was happy with me.


	10. Time - Jumin Han

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on one of the visual novels but a common thing youll learn abt me is that I WANNA TELL THEM I LOVE THEM BACK AHHHHH

“Oh my,” Sarah gasped, staring at me where I was sitting on the edge of Jumin’s bed, legs dangling off of the side, “look at that girl, lying through her teeth. What the Hell are you doing in my fiance’s house in the middle of the day?”

Jumin spoke up, “…Who’s whose fiance?”

Sarah faltered for a moment, and I bit back a laugh a her expression. “Jumin, no need to be shy. I know everything.” She shot a dirty glance my way, and I turned my eyes away from her for a moment. “I’m sure she’s just a hook up.” Her gaze returned to Jumin, and I felt sick at how her eyes looked over him. “I’m not a woman who makes fusses about these things.“

She took a step closer to Jumin, who folded his arms and said nothing. “You work in the big league,” Sarah went on. “I’m sure this is nothing. It’s fine. Marriage is a much more sacred bond than meaningless desire. I’m old enough to know everything.” Jumin’s back was to me, but I felt something change in his intensity, as well as in my mind.

What if…I was just a meaningless fling? Was that what I meant to him? Between myself and the beautiful women who surrounded him daily, why would he pick me?

“Alright, alright,” Sarah sighed. “Don’t look at me like that.”

I shifted uncomfortably on the bed, and the sound caused Jumin to glance over. We locked eyes for a moment, but I couldn’t hold his stare. Instead, I focused on fiddling with my hands, not wanting to look at either of them.

“You’ll feel much better if I show you the photo,” Sarah said. “Now, here! It’s her, right?”

Jumin didn’t say anything, but Sarah kept on. “It’s Elizabeth.”

“Unfortunately,” Jumin spoke up, “it’s not.”

“What?” Sarah’s voice cracked. “Look closer! All cats kind of look alike. White fur and blue eyes! It’s her. What do you mean it’s not her?” She sighed. “Maybe…the photo didn’t come out as well? It might be Elizabeth if you actually see her.” I heard her step closer to Jumin. “Do you want to go see her with me?”

“I must refuse,” Jumin replied.

Sarah huffed, clearly annoyed. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to find a similar looking cat in such a short time! Jumin, are you really going to be this rude?”

Jumin sighed, and I brought my eyes over to them again. He had his arms crossed at Sarah, who clutched the picture tightly. Again, his eyes met mine, but he looked back to Sarah quickly. “I’m afraid I cannot see you off…I will call someone to escort you.”

“You should at least offer you fiance a cup of tea,” Sarah whined.

“That will not happen,” said Jumin. “And I hope we do not have to see each other ever again. I will tell father about what happened today.”

“E-Ever again?” Sarah stuttered. “What?! Are you breaking up with me?”

“Break up?” I heard an amused lilt in Jumin’s tone. “How strange of you to say that when we have never been together. If you thought that exchanging a few words was being together, then you are delusional. In addition, that photo of the cat can easily be found online. You must be very confident of my father’s support to shamelessly walk into my house with such a photo.”

“I…” Sarah glanced at the photo, and I could tell that she was getting very nervous. “I must have been tricked…!”

“Will you please leave?” With a sigh, Jumin shook his head. “I do not wish to further waste my time, as I must find my cat.” He sighed once more. “I will tell father that you brought a fake photo of my cat to win over my affections. If my father has any sense left in him, at all, he will stop talking about the marriage.”

“Wait,” Sarah chimed, “Jumin, don’t try to call off the marriage on your own! Is it because of that woman?” She gave me the dirtiest look yet. “I’m going to tell Mr. Han first! That you have another woman!”

Jumin said nothing in response. His gaze settled on me, and he sent a warm smile, as if to reassure me, or tell me he had it under control.

“What,” the woman spoke, “are you two in love, or something?” My cheeks felt hot, and, once more, I dropped my gaze. “That assistant didn’t mention anything like this!”

“Hey!” I could tell this was directed at me, and I looked up to see she had taken a step in my direction and was now yelling at me. “If you think that you’re going to get a Prada bag by being with him, make sure I don’t catch you! I don’t know where you came from, but rich families have a reputation to keep up! So don’t even think about doing something funny!”

I felt my mouth move without me asking it to. “Sarah, I’m Jumin’s friend. Please, watch what you say.” Jumin smiled at me, and I could have sworn it seemed like he was applauding my bravery at talking to Sarah.

Speaking of Sarah, she now had her arms crossed, still glaring at me, “Friend…? Friend, when you are alone at his house?! And it looks like you spent the night here. And what are those, pancakes?! It’s so obvious!”

“Oh, I forgot to clean the plates, this morning,” Jumin sighed. “I should have called a maid…”

“Are you pretending you can’t see me, now?”

Jumin didn’t respond, so Sarah turned to him fully and stepped in his direction. “Jumin! How could you do this to me?! Mr. Han loves you so much…how could you be so rude to me when he picked me! I can’t just leave like this!”

“…You’re hurting my ears,” Jumin spoke again, and I looked up. “Seriously, where did my father bring in this woman?”

“I’m hurting your ears?” Sarah laughed, but it was forced and full of anger. “Then listen to me!”

“I wanted to end this quickly, since she is watching…” Jumin shook his head. “But this reminds me of an episode from a soap opera.”

“W-What?” Sarah faltered, again. “What are you saying?”

“This has just become unnecessarily troublesome, but I’ll do it for my father. Your fake tears…your timid threats…it’s all so cliche that I can’t help but laugh.”

“I mean it! I’m really going to tell Mr. Han. No use stopping me, now.”

Crossing his arms, Jumin met her stare. “I can guarantee you that your threats are pointless, to me. I’ve gone through this multiple times in the past. You should use your energy on something else in life…giving you advice will only be a waste of time, so let’s stop it at that…”

“W-What are you talking about?” Sarah feigned a pained look, like a kicked puppy or a cat left outside in the rain…

Bad analogy, given the circumstances.

“Anyways, you’re mad at me right now, right? Just be honest!”

“Not yet,” Jumin spoke coolly. “I do not get angry very often. But, you’ve annoyed me enough to make me talk. I know very well from experience that people like you will do whatever it takes to get what you want.” He looked at Sarah, looking like he was reaching his wit’s end. “You will have the right skills and even the spontaneity to do it…but people like you easily fall into nihilism once you’ve acquired that wealth you’ve so coveted. I…felt pity. A life filled with pointlessness, but I suppose that’s the life you want?”

“W-What?!” Sarah reeled at Jumin’s words.

He looked at his hands. “I had all the wealth, ever since I was born. Do you want some?” He turned back to Sarah. “A couple million, is that what you want?”

She gave Jumin a confused look, so he went on. “Tell me. If you ask me for it, I might give it to you. You need money, right? It’s nothing to me.”

“Jumin…” I spoke up, and we locked eyes. His gaze softened when we did. “I think you’re too emotional, right now. Are you okay…?”

“I’m fine,” he assured me with a sweet smile.

“You…You’re being too harsh! Can you write me a check, right now?”

“I do not like talking about impossible things,” Jumin mused.

“So, you mean it?” Jumin nodded, and she stood straighter. “T-Then…about three million. Then, I’ll say no to the marriage. With the condition that I’ll put it nicely to Mr. Han.” She sighed. “This will be better, I suppose. It’s a win-win.”

Jumin laughed. “…Got you.”

Sarah glanced at him nervously. “Why are you smiling?”

He settled himself and faced Sarah fully. “I just repeated some lines from a soap opera I watched. It’s funny that you’re almost replaying that scene for me. Apparently, it’s a very popular TV show, these days.”

“What?! You were messing with me?!”

“Yes.”

Sarah sputtered, “God…! Who the Hell do you think you are?”

“Unfortunately,” Jumin went on, “I will be charged with embezzlement if I use company assets for personal means. I’m not keen on being behind iron bars.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Sarah asked, seemingly bewildered.

“Yes,” Jumin said again. “You’ve managed to come here with a fake photo of my cat and insult my dear friend. My joke is only fair, don’t you think?”

“I’ve never insulted her!” Sarah said defensively. “And the cat photo…! I…I was tricked, too! And isn’t it rude that you let another woman in your house when you’re engaged?!” Her cold eyes turned to me. “And, at that, such an average looking girl…!”

Jumin moved to stand between her and me. “She is not an average girl. What you see isn’t everything. You won’t understand, even if I explain it to you.” He sighed. “It seems we have no more to talk about. Why don’t you leave?”

“No!” I couldn’t see Sarah, but I could hear in her voice that she was reaching her limit, if she wasn’t already at it. “I can’t leave like this! This isn’t fair…! No!”

“I don’t know what is not fair,” Jumin said, taking a step to the side and, very briefly, looking over to me, before his gaze fell on Sarah again, “but, if you do not wish to leave, I will use you to do what I want.”

“What are you talking about?!”

Jumin sighed, stepping closer to me. “There was something I wanted to do…but I just couldn’t come up with a proper excuse, but this seemed to happen a lot in soap operas.”

“What’s with the whole soap opera thing?!” Sarah whined, and I stood up when Jumin motioned for me to do so. “God, so childish!”

“I’m sorry,” Jumin told me once he got close. “It seems you’ll have to excuse me. I had no other choice to let her out…yes, let’s put it at that.” He glanced to the side, and, for a moment, I could have sworn he was…embarrassed. The Jumin Han, face red in embarrassment. “And…I was going to do it soon, anyways.”

Before I could ask, he put his hand under my chin and pressed his lips against my own. Sarah yelled when he did.

“What…What are you…!”

“J-Jumin?!” I squeaked, as he pulled back, only a little bit.

He shushed me, smiling. “You’re blushing. You’d better close your eyes. Focus on your senses.”

I did so, closing my eyes and putting my hands on his chest. He kissed me again, his other arm grabbing my waist.

“Ugh…I’m going to tell Ms. Choi!” Sarah whined.

“Yes,” Jumin mused as he released the kiss. “Having an audience for our first kiss takes off the tension. Your lips are so warm and soft. And…I think I smell a bit of the pancake?” He chuckled, and my cheeks got very hot. “You’re cute.”

“How…! I’ve never been so insulted!” I heard footsteps stomping out of the place.

“God…” Jumin sighed. “Finally, she’s leaving.”

The sound of the door slamming startled me, even though I was kind of expecting it. When Jumin didn’t move away, I spoke up.

“Jumin…” I trailed off, searching for the words. “Can we really do this?“

“To be honest…” He met my gaze. “I wanted to kiss you from the first moment I saw you. I’m sorry if that was so sudden. I wanted you to be comfortable here…perhaps I’ve bothered you.” His eyes grew warmer, and he smiled. “But I don’t regret what I did.”

My lips trembled, and I looked for anything to say. “Is this appropriate…” My brain wracked itself for any semblance of a thought. “…when Elizabeth is missing?”

“This has nothing to do with that,” Jumin told me. “It’s my emotions. And Elizabeth isn’t here, but you are. Oh…I just realized something after the kiss. That you are indeed different from Elizabeth III. The special person who can truly understand me…who I can touch and kiss and understands what I’m saying. I’ve known this for a while, now. That I need someone like you, not a cat.”

His hand went to my cheek, and I leaned into the warm touch despite myself. He seemed to be happy with that, because he smiled at me. “And, seeing you in front of my eyes…I feel like I’ve finally gotten what I wanted. I don’t want to be a fool who loses what he needs. Elizabeth III…even if I find her again, she is just a cat. But you’re different. You can soak in all of my emotions.” He breathed in sharply, voice going softer. “You can be mine.” His face broke into a sweet smile. “That makes me so happy.”

He pressed kisses on the side of my face, and I laughed a little bit. When his lips met mine again, I could have melted.

“Jumin…first, calm down,” I said, even though I wanted more. “You were worried about Elizabeth a minute ago!”

Jumin’s forehead rested on mine. “I’ve never been so sure of my feelings,” he said. “Now that Elizabeth III isn’t here…it must be ironic that I’m so happy. But, I’ve realized what I truly wanted, thanks to my cat going missing.” He stopped for a moment, letting his thoughts collect, before he went on. “I want you…and I want you to want me, too. I mean this.”

I went to speak, but my words got caught. What would I say? What I felt? Or what was the right thing to do?

Damn my better judgement.

“I think any relationship needs time,” I said. “Let’s think about it. First, let’s find Elizabeth.”

He nodded. “I can understand if you need time,” he returned. “Just don’t leave my side, right now. I’ll try to be the man who can do anything for you. That’s…That’s what everyone expected from me, ever since I was little.” His eyes met mine. “I won’t say much. Even if it takes time, I want to have everything you are. So just stay here, with me.”

When I nodded as a response, he went to pull away, but I grabbed his hand.

“Jumin,” I said, and he took both of my hands in his own. “I…I want you,too. Really.”

He reeled at that for a moment, but a smile crossed his lips. Before he could say anything, I grabbed his cheeks and pulled him to me again. Without a second to waste, his arms were around me, and my hands were on the back of his head, pulling him down to me. His arms secured me against him as he sighed, breathlessly. I put my head against his chest, listening to the thumping of his heart.

He wanted me, and I wanted him. That was all we wanted.


	11. Follow Up - Jumin Han

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> could be seen as pt 2 to the last one but can be read on its own
> 
> based off of a phone call in the game, but i diverged just a smidge from the script

“It’s me,” Jumin’s smooth voice said as I answered the phone. “Did you eat, yet? I hope you don’t skip your meals just because I’m not there. You are a guest at my house.“

“Your chef brought food,” I told him. “It was very good, but I might have indulged a little bit.”

“You’re allowed to indulge,” he returned. “You can do whatever you please.”

I smiled, somewhat thankful he couldn’t see how hard I blushed every time he mentioned me even being at his place.

“…I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable, this morning,” he went on, before sighing. “No, I’ll say it again. To be honest, I wanted to do it the first moment I saw you, but I was waiting for the right time. That woman did nothing good, but I’m thankful that she provided the best excuse.”

My face was flaming. He had wanted to kiss me? Did he know what his words were doing to me?

“I miss you already…perhaps because I’ve touched you…I still can’t forget the shape and feeling of your lips. And, for your information, I never forget something I closely observed. How about you…?”

My voice felt weak as I searched for words. “…I was a bit flustered, but…I liked it,” I admitted.

“…I knew it,” Jumin said, and I could hear a little happiness in his voice. “Sometimes, you don’t have to say how you feel for others to know.” He was silent a moment, before he continued on. “The electric feeling I had when our lips touched…I think I felt it because we are connected. I never believed that before, but, after experiencing it myself, I know it’s true.”

He sighed. “I actually wanted our first kiss…to be more gentle and slow, but that didn’t cross my mind, then. It was quite impulsive…unlike me. I was quite nervous about how I did it without asking for your permission…”

Before I could get a word out, his next few words shocked me into silence.

“Next time,” he warned, “I will do it after I receive your full permission. I will ask you with word…or with my body…”

My lip trembled, and I didn’t trust my legs to hold me up anymore. I sat down on his bed, a million thoughts running through my mind. These were not pure thoughts.

“Oh, I hope you do not imagine what I just said,” he backtracked. I debated telling him it was too late, but he kept talking. “The excitement might dissipate when you are expecting it. I am very intrigued in processing ideas during predictable circumstances. I like going step by step. And I tend to take each step slow and master it for good, so keep that in mind. I would feel satisfied if you respond to my plans.”

I could barely keep my breathing in check. My hand was gripping my phone tightly, and I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying something.

“…I should stop talking. I thought I’d feel better after talking about it, but I can’t focus at all, now. I will go home as soon as I take care of the work here, so see you there.”

“Jumin,” I said before he could hang up. “I…You…”

It was silence for a moment as I gathered up my words.

“Do you know what you do to me?” I asked him softly. “How you make me feel?”

He hummed in thought. “If you’re asking whether I know your response to my words, the answer is yes.” He took a deep breath. “Every word is spoken to make you feel a certain way, and I know, now, that it’s working.”

“Jumin,” I called again. “…Coming home better be the first thing you do after your work is done, and you’d better do it fast.”

He laughed into the phone. “I’ll be there before you know it.”


	12. Your Soap Opera - Jumin Han

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> never realized how much jumin stuff i wrote, this is whack

I laid on Jumin’s bed, the soft, possibly silk fabric lulling me into tiredness. My eyes felt heavy, but I told myself to stay awake, at least until Jumin got home.

He couldn’t have had better timing, walking through the door just as the thoughts had passed through my mind.

“Jumin!” I greeted, sitting up lazily on the bed. I couldn’t hold in my yawn, so I waited a moment for it to pass. “You’re home so late, you must be tired, I’ll go somewhere else.”

I moved to get off of his bed, but Jumin spoke up. “No, stay,” he told me. “Perhaps, tonight…I will join you.” His eyes met mine, clearly searching for my approval. When I nodded, his eyes brightened, and he walked off to change into something to sleep in. I had already grabbed a random, comfortable T-shirt from his closet and put it on, so I just waited.

He took a bit longer than I thought he would, but he looked like a God, walking out of his closet. I had to stop looking at him to try and focus on controlling my heartbeat before it got loud enough for him to hear.

The bed shifted behind me and, almost by instinct, I rolled over and melted against his side. He put an arm around my waist, and my head was on his chest. He smelled good, like expensive cologne mixed with some type of citrus.

“I have a question,” I spoke tiredly, leaning against him more.

“Ask me anything,” Jumin told me. His voice vibrated in his chest, and I cherished the sound being so close to me, so present in my ears.

“Well…earlier, with Sarah, you said those were lines from a soap opera?” He nodded, and I pressed on, cheeks red. “W-Well, you were clearly the protagonist, and Sarah was the antagonist…so…who was I?”

He laughed a little, arm tightening around my waist. “You were, and still are, my love interest,” he replied, making my heart rate go crazy. If I told my doctor about this, I’d surely be told to stay away from him for risk of a heart attack. “You stayed with me, through the entire ordeal. You supported me the whole time.”

I buried my red face in his chest, and he laughed again. The sound brought a smile to my face, even as I was fighting back the blush.

Jumin moved to pull my face from him, meeting my eyes. “Yes, definitely my beautiful hero…my love interest.” He hummed. “And…who am I, in your soap opera?”

“What do you mean?” I asked him. He closed his eyes, his forehead pressed to mine.

“If you were the protagonist of the soap opera, who would I be?”

“Obviously, you’d be my love interest, too,” I spoke with boldness I’d never felt before.

He smiled at me, before closing in for a kiss. I didn’t expect for him to lay me on my back, hovering over me with a hand on either side of my head, but he did. He leaned down, keeping his lips locked with mine.

“You know what the love interests in soap operas do when they realize they love each other?” he asked me, a mischievous grin on his face.

“I forget,” I sighed, heart pounding. “Can you remind me?”


	13. Safe - Hyun Ryu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once more based on a visual novel but i broke the script to tell zen im love he

“I’m so glad you’re eating something,” Zen sighed, smiling. He sat next to me on his couch as I took another bite of a sandwich. “Just forget what happened earlier, okay?”

I nodded. “Okay,” I said. “Thank you.”

“No need,” he returned. “I’m just doing what I have to do as someone who cherishes you.” He locked eyes with me, as I had just finished my food and set the plate on a table. “Please, trust me…I’ll protect you so that nothing like that ever happens again. If it’s okay with you, you can continue living here.”

My head reeled and face flushed at his offer. “Zen, what about your acting?” I asked him.

He shook his head. “I’ll take care of that on my own. Your safety is more important, right now.” His cheeks went a little pink. “Be healthy…and stay beside me. I’m nervous that I’ll lose you.”

I let myself grab his hand, and he smiled, squeezing my fingers a little. “Don’t…ever go anywhere alone, for the time being,” he said. “If you suddenly disappear…I’ll just quit the RFA and do nothing but look for you.” He pulled me closer. “Even if I have to go to Jumin or powerful people and beg…I’ll ask them to help me find you.”

Our eyes met, and his smile became so sweet. “I realized this after watching you today. My ego or beliefs don’t matter in protecting someone.”

“That’s not like you,” I said in a playful tone.

“It’s not, right?” he agreed, chuckling. “But I can’t imagine my life without you, now. It’s funny…we haven’t known each other for a long time. The feelings I have for you…are so special and important.” He sighed softly.

His hand released mine, and he hesitantly wrapped his arm around my waist. I moved a bit closer to him. “I’m so glad you’re here with me. About my future…my beliefs…my jealousy towards Jumin…and even my family, who I didn’t talk to for a long time…I could see all those issues with a straight perspective thanks to your advice and encouragement.” His smile broadened. “I know where I am, and where I have to go.” A scoff left him. “You won’t know even if I explain it.”

Those bright eyes turned to mine again, and I had to bury my face in his chest to hide my red face. “Your small words,” he continued, “they all piled up and gave me so much strength…! Your messages held power. Please know that.” Both of his arms went around my waist, and he moved to stand up from the couch, bringing me with him. “I’m sorry if I’m getting too ahead of myself, but I want to tell you this. I want to let you know what my feelings towards you mean.”

He pulled me into a sweet embrace, an arm around my back while the other was running its fingers through my hair. “I love you,” he said. “I love you, and only you. I don’t care about our situation. What’s important is my heart that’s pounding, right now.”

It was true; His heartbeat was so loud in my ears, but it was proof, to me, that everything was real. This moment with him, these words…were all real.

“Even if we didn’t spend a long time together,” he went on, “even if we met just today…I know that my feelings are true. I love you with my heart. You are…more beautiful than anyone in this world.” He pulled back to face me. “Please, don’t turn your eyes away and accept my heart.”

“I…Zen…” I struggled to fin words, as his gaze and feelings were so intense. I almost found it hard to breathe, looking into his eyes.

“You don’t need to say more,” he said, smiling genuinely.

In a moment, I saw him move closer, and I felt his lips touching mine. I closed my eyes, my hands resting on his chest as his pulled me flush against him. Unlike what I expected, there wasn’t the slightest trace of alcohol or smoke on his breath. Perhaps he’d been too busy to smoke or drink, that day.

“We can talk about this later,” he said, putting no more than an inch of space between us. “Just be honest with me, tell me that you share my feelings, too. For now…this is enough.”

I shook my head, and he blinked. “No, Zen, I…I love you, too.”

He reeled, for all of a moment, before grinning and kissing me again. This one was shorter, but I felt so much in it.

“I’m just so grateful that I can be with you, like this,” he sighed. “Don’t go anywhere…stay here so that I can protect you, my love.”

At that moment, I put a hand on his cheek, bringing him in for more. I couldn’t bring myself to get enough of him.


	14. I Love You - Choi Saeyoung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahahahhah more vn stuff aaaaahhhhhh

I gazed out from the yard in front of this small cabin we were staying in. Saeyoung had asked me to help him find his brother, and I couldn’t help but agree. I wanted to help him, to give him some reason to smile and be happy.

My phone started to go off in my pocket, startling me. After a moment of that shock, I laughed a little and pulled the phone out, answering a call from Saeyoung himself.

“It’s me,” he began, and his voice made me smile. “Why are you outside?”

Before I could answer him, he kept on. “I cut off all communication except for the call.” So that was why Jumin didn’t answer my call earlier. “I noticed something suspicious…Let’s access the messenger later and read the messages.” His voice got way softer. “You’re not depressed, are you?”

I shook my head, forgetting, for a moment, that he couldn’t see me.

“Aren’t you happy that there’s a place we can return to?” he asked me.

“Yeah,” I answered. “And you’re right here with me.”

“And you’re here with me,” he returned. You know, staring at your back feels kind of different.” He laughed a bit. “I never though I’d be so excited to look at someone’s back.”

He grew more serious, but tried to maintain his playful tone. “I did some calculations, and, if we take the seaside road, we’ll be able to catch him soon. So…I made some breakfast just in case we can’t stop. Come here and let’s eat.”

I laughed a bit, “Are you going to feed me again?” I pondered jokingly.

“If you really don’t want to use a spoon,” Saeyoung started, “should I feed you with my mouth? I don’t mind.” I felt the red start to cover my face.

“Since when did you become so bold?” I asked to him.

With a small laugh, he replied, “From the moment you showed me your feelings.” He sighed. “You have no idea how hard it was for me to conceal all this. Now, I’ll feed you however I can, so come here. We have to do the ritual right before we eat.” His voice got deeper, and I could tell he was trying to sound scary. “Giving you a tight hug.” A laugh escaped him.

My own laugh came, as well, and I turned to go back into the house. Saeyoung’s voice stopped me.

“Oh…you turned around,” he noticed, voice soft again. I looked up to see him through the small window in the kitchen. “Don’t make such a pretty smile. You’re looking at me, right? Let me give you a small teaser, then.”

Confusion settled in me. Teaser? A teaser for what?

“I love you,” he spoke through the phone, causing my heart to flutter. “I want you to look at me and love me, too. We’ve come too far to turn back.” I could hear a smile in his voice. “I’m already too deep into you…”

“Saeyoung…” I sighed, my own grin spreading.

“I love you,” he said again, “my one and only love.”

He started to move from the window. “Now, hang up and-”

“Wait,” I interrupted, and he turned back to the window. Even from a distance, I could see confusion set in his features. “Saeyoung, I love you, too. You don’t have to ask for me to love you, because I already do.”

He laughed into the phone. “Come inside, I have so much to tell you. You know what’s next…” He made a kissing sound through the phone, before he hung up. I’d never run to someone faster than I ran into his arms right then.


	15. Cat Bot - Choi Saeyoung

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not my finest work but.....i mean.....it exists

I sat on my bed, hearing quiet mumbles and somewhat furious typing in the corner far from me. Seven was still keeping as much distance as he could, and it was starting to get worse. He wasn’t eating or taking breaks, and he refused to engage in real conversation with me.

At the time, everything kinda sucked.

And then, I heard a small meow from the next room over.

It hadn’t caught Seven’s attention, as he was still ‘hacking’ or whatever, so he didn’t care much when I said I was going to the bathroom. He glanced up for a moment, as if to make sure I wasn’t lying to leave the apartment, then returned, with all his attention, to his computer.

I rolled my eyes, but stepped into the small living room that connected to the bathroom and kitchen, the only other rooms in the apartment. Laundry was done in the floors laundry room, but I was still unable to leave the apartment’s walls. Until everything was cleared up, I’d have to wash my clothes by hand.

The meow came up again, and I turned to the sound. It had moved to the kitchen.

Sneakily, I padded around the bar-like counter that seperated the livinng room and kitchen, finding Seven’s robot cat on the floor. It was pawing at a rag that had fallen from the counter.

“Hey, kitty,” I said, smiling. The robot perked its ears to me, then turned its head. “Oh, you’re so cute!”

The catbot meowed, stepping closer. Very faintly, I could hear the mechanical whirs of its metal joints moving it closer to me. When it was in range, I reached out to pat it’s head. While it wasn’t as soft as a real cat, it was warm like one, and it closed it’s eyes and made a purring noise when I scratched its ears.

“Ah, you’re a real kitty, aren’t you?” I played, patting the bot’s head. It meowed at my words.

“What did you say?” I joked to it. It meowed again. “No, really? Seven said that?” The bot meowed twice. “Oh, I can’t beli-”

“What exactly did I say?” a voice interrupted, and I jolted upright. My head spun a little from standing up so fast. The robot cat rubbed itself on my leg, begging for more scratching.

“Well, I…Um…What was the question?”

He seemed to bite back a smile, and I could tell he was trying to look pissed. “What did the cat say I said?”

I glanced at the cat, who meowed at me. I nodded at it. “She said it’s a secret,” I replied, looking at Seven. “Top secret.”

He raised an eyebrow. “She?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I, uh, she said she wanted to tell you, but couldn’t really find a way to break it to you easy,” I tried. “Also, her name’s Kat. With a 'K’.”

Seven laughed at that. Like, he actually laughed, for the first time in what felt like ages. I saw a smile grace his lips as he chuckled at me, or perhaps at my words. “Kat,” he said quietly, laughing a moment longer before facing me again. “Alright, that’s her name, then. Kat.” He cleared his throat, then turned away. “Be careful with her, she’s more than just a cat, you know.”

“Wait,” I said, expecting him to keep moving. When the sound of his footsteps stopped, I looked up at him. “Um, well, why don’t you teach me everything she can do?” He tilted his head. “I mean, I can’t exactly figure out robots on my own.” I shrugged. “I’d appreciate a little help.”

The look he gave from behind his glasses told me he knew what was happening. Those golden eyes trailed back to the bedroom, where his computer was waiting, then back to me, where I had picked up the catbot and was holding it close. With a sigh, he took a few steps toward me, then moved to sit us both on the hardwood floor of the kitchen, the bot sitting between us.

“She has a lot a features,” he began, and I was already listening attentively. “She can fetch, beg, roll over, and do some other basic tricks, but she can also do flips and perform tasks.”

I glanced at him. “What kind of tasks?”

He hummed in response, then whistled softly to the cat. This caused it to perk its ears, like it was trained to recognize and respond to the sound. “Vacuum,” Seven said plainly, and the bot immediately began to vacuum the floors. I scooted a little bit closer to Seven when the bot tried to get past me on the other side.

“Resourceful,” I told him, “but what use is a vacuum bot when you already have a maid?”

“Not sure,” he admitted. “I wasn’t really paying much attention, the parts just sort of put themselves together. There are probably more things it can do that I haven’t found out, yet.”

A smile crossed my face. “Then let’s find out what it can do,” I offered, picking up the cat. It stopped vacuuming the moment it was lifted off the ground, purring in Seven’s direction. I have him the sweetest smile I could.

He sighed again. “Not for long. I do have to get back to work soon.”

I hopped up from where I sat, placing the cat on my counter. A hand was extended to Seven, and he begrudgingly let me help him stand. “Let’s see what you can do,” I said to the cat, who purred when I rubbed her ears.

Apparently, due to our two hours of extensive research, the cat could also eat and take realistic-looking shits made out of mushed up food.

“I’m not cleaning that,” I groaned, and Seven sighed before telling the bot to clean it. “Oh, I didn’t even think about that.”

We both laughed a little bit at that, but I glanced Seven’s way when he stopped laughing. He was standing almost right next to me, face inches away from mine. His eyes looked down, right at my mouth, before he glanced away.

He opened his mouth, like he wanted to speak, but nothing came out. Before I could ask any questions, he had pulled my face to his and was kissing me.

I didn’t waste any time in throwing my arms around him as he pulled me closer, practically crushing ourselves against the other. My hands ran through his hair while his gripped my waist, keeping us locked in the spot.

A few moments passed, and we had to break off for air. Seven looked…like he was experiencing a range of emotions. He was pissed, but he was smiling. He was blushing, but had tears in his eyes. When I put my hand on his cheek, those tears fell, and I pulled him close, letting him cry against me. While I wasn’t sure what brought the tears, I was more than ready to comfort him.

He still held my waist, and I was rubbing his back soothingly, trying to calm him. Within minutes, he had calmed down, wiping his eyes and cleaning his glasses.

“Sorry,” he said, trying not to look at me. “I just…don’t get close to people.”

“Why?” I tried, and he frowned.

“Because…as much as I want to be with you, it’ll only hurt you,” he finally admitted. “This is serious. If anyone, anyone at all, that had something against me, which is a lot of people, knew that you were with me…God knows what they’d do to you just to hurt me.”

“But they can’t hurt me,” I told him. “I’ve got God Seven right here, protecting me. I’m safer with you than anywhere else.”

He looked at me with teary eyes, once more. “Damn it, I love you so much,” he said, kissing me for a short moment. “I would do anything for you, you know?”

“Then, please, stop avoiding me,” I asked of him. “If you need space, or if you need to move slow, I’m okay, but…don’t push me away. Please.”

He nodded, putting his hands on my cheeks. “I promise, I won’t ignore you or hurt you anymore. You have my word.”

I moved his glasses to sit on top of his head, granting myself an easier way to push a kiss to his lips, and he returned it. My hands sat on his shoulders while his were still framing my cheeks, and everything was okay. For the time being, there weren’t any bad guys. There was no hacker. No RFA. No agencies. Nothing.

Just me and Seven.


End file.
